Two weeks before the start of the 2006 World Men's Curling Championship in Lowell, Massachusetts, Uusipaavalniemi suffered a wrist injury that forced him to miss the team's first three games of the competition.
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On September 20, 2006 he announced to be a candidate for Finnish parliament in the 2007 election for the Centre Party.
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In the tie-breakers however, they were knocked out of contention by Canada's Randy Ferbey.